State of emergency to take effect in Greenport

Greenport Village will be operating under a state of emergency declaration beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Greenport High School will be open at a shelter starting at 7 p.m., the village announced this afternoon. Anyone who wants to ride out the storm â€” and possible flooding at home â€” should bring supplies including medications, blankets, flashlights, snacks and water, the village said in its announcement. Supplies should also be brought for any crated pets.

The village asked that residents make their decision to stay at the shelter as early as possible so no one will be out driving to the shelter when conditions are dangerous. The fire department is not a shelter, the village said in its announcement.

Primary emergency numbers for Greenport are 477-2914 AND 477-2973.

Village officials, meanwhile, tried to quash rumors that the village would turn off electrical power to part of the village these evening.

The village issued an official announcement Saturday evening that power would not be cut off to any part of the village unless a storm surge caused flooding at Mitchell Park that made it “absolutely necessary.”

Mayor David Nyce had posted a comment on Facebook during the day that there was no truth to rumors the village intended to turn of electrical power this evening. He said “it is also unconscionable that this sort of misinformation is being spread.”

Planner Chair Lara McNeil also made a Facebook posting on the topic of the rumors. She wrote that the village would not shut down power at 6 p.m. today on Front and Main Streets.

She said there is a contingency plan to shut down power if a storm surge affects the transformer in Mitchell Park. Only then would power will be shut off to the south side of Front Street from 3rd to Main Streets in order to maintain power elsewhere in the village.